1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a computer network connector. It applies in particular to RJ45 connectors used for computer networks and covered by the IEC standard 11 801.
2. Description of the Prior Art
RJ45 connectors must be able to accept all RJ45 plugs and sometimes standard RJ11 type plugs without damaging the contacts. Because the tolerances on the dimensions of these plugs are relatively wide, the contacts of the insert of the RJ45 connector must be flexible to accept plugs representing the extremes. However, these contacts must also be sufficiently rigid to provide the necessary contact pressure between the contacts of the insert and the flat contacts of the plugs to obtain a contact of good quality reflected in a low contact resistance.
A number of solutions to this problem are known. A first produces relatively long insert contacts that incorporate crossovers between some contacts to prevent increasing crosstalk problems and to make a start on compensating them. The limitations of this solution are that the compensation achieved between the crossover and the printed circuit (if the insert is pushed onto or soldered to a circuit) is not of optimum efficacy because compensation is effected in air, which entails conforming to standard isolation distances.
A second solution uses shorter contacts to be pushed onto or soldered to a circuit as close as possible to the point of contact to benefit rapidly, in terms of the phase shift of the signal, from the compensation opportunities that the printed circuit provides. In this case, the material used to produce the contacts of the insert is more costly, for example beryllium bronze.
Another solution uses a flexible circuit coming into contact with (or soldered to) the metal contacts of the insert as close as possible to the point of contact and incorporating appropriate compensation means. The drawbacks of this solution are in particular the cost of the flexible circuit and production engineering problems linked to the flexible circuit.